Urulaikizhangu Bajji / Aloo Bajji (Pakora) / Potato Fritters

                           In our village,  during Diwali times, we will exchange the sweets and snacks made in our houses, with our neighbourhood. In each n every plate (received from neighbour) there will be some vada's, some bajji's, some sweets and murukku. That too bajji is always banana bajji (plantain bajji).

                        And so, in my neighbourhood everybody will be waiting our plate (from my house), because my amma (mother) will feast with different recipes. Bajji's will also fall under the category. She will make these urulaikizhangu bajji, onion bajji, cauliflower bajji and so on. That too while sharing with our neighbours she will make vadas and bajjis-piping hot. Happy Memories.

                         Potatoes!!! If you find anyone saying "I don't like potatoes", then please do ping me and say I found a person. Yes, I haven't seen a single one saying no to potatoes (unless some sick reasons). The simple bajji recipe is for you.

Prep Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 10 mins


Ingredients

1 cup Besan / Gram Flour/ Kadalai Maavu
2 nos Potatoes
2-3 tsp Chilly Powder
1 tbsp Rice Flour
1 tsp Rava/ Sooji
2 pinch Asafoetida

As per taste Salt

As needed Water

As needed Oil ( For Frying)

Procedure

1) In a wide bowl put all the above ingredients and mix with water to make a batter. The batter should not be too watery, it should be in idli batter consistency.

2) On the another side, peel off the potatoes and make thin slices out of it. 

3) Now dip the sliced potatoes, in the batter and deep fry in the oil.

                                     Note:

• Keep the flame in medium high positions, while making the bajji. Simmer position will tend to consume more oil.
• I usually avoid adding cooking soda, as it is not good for health. But if u wish to add you can.
• Rice flour and sooji will result in more crispy outputs.
• While making pakora's, add some cumin seeds and coriander leaves.

Orange Beet Juice Recipe / Beetroot Orange Juice - A juice for lowering Blood Pressure....

                               Making kids eat beetroot is a challenging task. I usually make beetroot jam and stir fry. But still my kid will run away from beet. My kid loves to have tangy juices. So tried making this orange beet juice. Ya and this recipe gave me a green light.

                            Nowadays I come across many articles saying that coloured veges and fruits have lots of anti-oxidants and anti-cancerous too. In addition to this, beet is heart healthy too. Oranges as we all know is good source of Vitamin C.

Prep time 15 mins

Cooking time Nil

Ingredients

1 no Beetroot (Chopped)

2 nos Oranges (Peeled, deseeded and chopped)

1/2 glass Water (optional)

1 tbsp Honey (optional)

Procedure

1. Wash the beet thoroughly and chop it. Peel, quarter and deseed the oranges.

2. Then in a blender put the chopped beet, oranges and blend it.

3. Now strain the extracted juice and transfer it to a container. Add honey if needed.

4. You can top with ice cubes if needed.

              Note:

• Adding of water is optional, you can increase and decrease the amount accordingly.

Vazhaipoo Vadai recipe / Banana Blossom Vada (Fritters) recipe

                  Vazhaipoo vadai was a challenge recipe for me, as when I was newly married, I had to make some good evening snack for my in-laws. And in my husbands house they don't include the vazhaipoo(banana blossom) or vazhaithandu(banana stem) in their cooking. And so, the challenge grew up in size. But, these vadas came out very well so that I just powdered off the challenge and got appreciations from my in-laws.
                             
                       

                           In my childhood days, my amma(mother) will make these vadas, as we (me n my sissy) will not eat this vazhaipoo poriyal or kootu. But, inspite of her heavy work, she will patiently clean and make these vadas. I remember my grandma getting 2 banana blossoms for just three rupees. But, here in Bangalore even one blossom is more than thirty rupees. 

 

Prep time  2 hours ( For soaking the bengal gram)

Cooking time 15-20 mins

Ingredients

1 cup Vazhaipoo ( cleaned and chopped)
3/4 cup Bengal Gram
7-8 Small Onion chopped
3 Chilly (chopped)
1 inch sized Ginger (chopped)
2 tbsp Curry leaves (chopped)
1 tsp Fennel Seeds/ Sombu/ Saunf
2 tbsp Rice Flour
A pinch Hing
As per taste Salt

For deep frying 
As required Oil


Procedure

1. First soak the bengal gram for two hours. Then drain the water and take some bengal gram and keep aside before grinding. Grind the remaining soaked gram into a coarse paste. 
Clean and chop the banana blossom and keep it in diluted buttermilk to avoid the blossom turning black.

2. In wide basin put the chopped banana blossom, course paste of bengal gram with all the above ingredients and knead the dough for the ingredients to get distributed uniformly.
Then make round shaped vadas out of the dough.

3.In a kadai pour the oil and deep fry the vadas for golden brown colour.

 There will be no need of any chutney for side dish. Once the vada is made you cant resist yourself from eating. Be careful of the counts.

         Note:

• Fennel Seeds is optional. Adding them gives more taste.
• If in case you forgot to soak the dal, then no matter soak them in hot water in a closed container so that soaking time of half an hour is enough.

வெங்காய பஜ்ஜி

                                         எண்ணெய்... வேண்டாம் என்று சொல்லுபர்கூட பஜ்ஜி என்றால் சிறிது யோசிக்க தான் செய்வார்கள். நம் தமிழ்நாட்டில், மக்கள் பஜ்ஜி எண்ணெயாக  இருந்தால், ஒரு பேப்பரை தேடுவோம தவிர, ஒரு கடி பஜ்ஜியும் ஒரு வாய் டீயும் மிஸ் பண்ணமாட்டோம்.

                                        ஒரு இனிய மாலை பொழுதில் பஜ்ஜி செய்யலாம் என்று எண்ணினேன். அன்று எங்கள் வீட்டில் வாழைக்காய் இல்லை, அதனால் உருளை கிழங்கு மற்றும் வெங்காயம் வைத்து பஜ்ஜி செய்யலாம் என்று ஆரம்பித்தேன். என் கணவர் உருளை கிழங்கு உள்ளது என்றால், மிகவூம் பிரியமாக சாப்பிடுவார். ஆனால், அன்று அவர் இந்த வெங்காய பஜ்ஜி தான் விரும்பி சாப்பிட்டார் . அதலால் உங்களிடம் சந்தோசமாக பகிர்கிறேன்.

தேவையானவை: 

ஒரு கப் கடலை மாவு 
இரண்டு பெரிய வெங்காயம்
2-3 டீஸ்பூன் மிளகாய் வத்தல் போடி
1 டீஸ்பூன் அரிசி மாவு
1 டீஸ்பூன் ரவை 
சிறிது காயம்
தேவைகேற்ப உப்பு
தேவைகேற்ப தண்ணீர்
தேவைகேற்ப எண்ணெய் (பொரிக்க)


செய்முறை: 
1) ஒரு அகன்ற பத்திரத்தில் மேல் உள்ள அனைத்து பொருட்களையும்(எண்ணெய் தவிர) போட்டு, தண்ணீர் கொண்டு இட்லி மாவு பதத்தில் விரவவும்.

பின்பு வெங்காயத்தை மெலிதாக நறுக்கி வேண்டும்.

2) நறுக்கிய  வெங்காயத்தை விரவிய மாவில் இட்டு, பின்பு எண்ணையில் பொரிக்கவும்.

                                 கவனிக்க:

• எண்ணெய் சிறிது சூடாகவே தான் இருக்க வேண்டும், அல்லது பஜ்ஜி அதிகம்  எண்ணெய் உட்கொள்ளும் (குடிக்கும்). 

                                     இந்த சூடான வெங்காய பஜ்ஜியும் ஒரு கிளாஸ் டீயும் உங்கள் மாலை பொழுதை இனிமையாக மாற்றும்.

                           

Vengaya Bajji Recipe / Onion Bajji / Onion Fritters

                             Even oil (diet) conscious people, will find it difficult to say no to bajji. Yes, bajji will be under the favorite category of many. In Tamilnadu, hot bajji's along with tea is a favorite roadside snack of many people. Even if it so oily, people will go in search of paper (for squeezing out the oil), but will not miss a bite of bajji and a sip of tea.

                           In a perfect evening, I thought of making bajji's. As i had no bananas, had to bajji with onion and potatoes only. My husband is always a big fan of any recipe made with potato, and this time to my wonder he loved the onion bajji's more than the potatoes. So with great satisfaction, happily sharing the recipe with you all.

                                      Neither prior preparations, nor soaking is needed for making these bajji's. Only with the availability of bengal gram flour and oil and veges of your kind, you can make these lovely bajjis. And onion is a universal ingredient, regardless of the different cuisines.

Prep Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 10 mins


Ingredients

1 cup Besan / Gram Flour/ Kadalai Maavu
2 nos Onion Big
2-3 tsp Chilly Powder
1 tbsp Rice Flour
1 tsp Rava/ Sooji
2 pinch Asafoetida

As per taste Salt

As needed Water

As needed Oil ( For Frying)

Procedure

1) In a wide bowl put all the above ingredients and mix with water to make a batter. The batter should not be too watery, it should be in idli batter consistency.

In another side, peel off the onion and make thin slices out of it.

2) Now dip the sliced onion, in the batter and deep fry in the oil.

                                     Note:

• Keep the flame in medium high positions, while making the bajji. Simmer position will tend to consume more oil.
• I usually avoid adding cooking soda, as it is not good for health. But if u wish to add you can.
• Rice flour and sooji will result in more crispy outputs.

Hence, hot onion bajji with tea will make your evening a pleasant one.

Milagu Poondu Kuzhambu / Garlic Pepper Kuzhambu

     
                             It was the day, that my sister has to treat her friends with self cooked food. That too it should be a puli kuzhambu type ( made with tamarind syrup). So she was asking for some good recipe and got the recipe from my grandma. Each and every dish made by my grandma is 200% healthy. And so this milagu poondu kuzhambu. Poondu (Garlic) and milagu (Pepper) is full of anti-oxidants and much more benefits...

                           With my lil little guidance, she did it, and the taste was really good. And so the weekend lunch was prepared by my sister. Felt highly relaxed...

                          On the next day, my sister packed the milagu poondu kuzhambu accompanied by some dal and poriyal (for her friends). And they too relished the lunch platter.

Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 30 mins


Ingredients

25-30 nos Garlic Peeled 
Small lemon sized Tamarind

To dry roast and grind
2 tbsp Urad Dal 
2 tbsp Channa Dal
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tbsp Pepper
1/2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
8-10 nos Dried Chilies 
5 springs Curry Leaves

To Temper
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 spring Curry Leaves


Procedure:

1) Soak the tamarind, for atleast half an hour. Peel the garlic and keep aside. 
Dry roast all ingredients and grind it a fine powder.

2) Extract the juice of the tamarind. Put the ground powder along with the juice.

• In a thick bottomed vessel, put the sesame oil, followed by mustard and allow it to splutter. Then put the curry leaves and peeled garlic. 
• Saute till the garlic is half cooked. 
• Now pour the above tamarind syrup with ground powder.

3) Keep on stirring in intermediates till a rolling consistency is obtained, and so you are done.

                                         Note:

• Instead of garlic, you can also add malai poondu (bigger one, than the country type).
• You can also add few chopped small onions while tempering. But without onions also the taste was good.
• You can also increase and decrease the pepper and the dried chillies count accordingly.

Thalicha Mor /Neer Mor /Spiced Buttermilk Recipe

                          I remember learning that, there are 3 seasons in India; Summer, Winter and Monsoon. But it is only the climate Summmer that always persist here in Chennai, its too hot always. Inspite of the hot climate, the metro work, so riding in Chennai is becoming more than meditating (as it is stealing our patience).

                         And coming back to Spiced Buttermilk or thalicha mor; In my village, the farmers back from the fields will be welcomed by this thalicha mor only. The relishing taste; will be a treat for the taste buds, as well a coolant for our body. You too can feel it up.

                        Using the butter milk left out while churning the milk (for butter) can also be used. This churned buttermilk is very good for health as it is fat free, especially for diabetics. But instead, the thick curd or yogurt can be diluted.

Prep time 5 mins

Cooking time 5 mins

Ingredients

1 cup Thick Curd/ Indian Yogurt (Plain and unsalted)

3 cups of Water

1/2 tbsp Curry Leaves Chopped

1 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Cilantro) Chopped

1 pinch Asafoetida

As per Taste Salt

To Temper

1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard

3 nos Dried Chilly / Green Chilly

1 inch sized Ginger Chopped

1/2 tbsp Curry Leaves Chopped

Procedure

1) Beat the curd with 3 cups of water.

2) Chop the chilies, ginger,curry leaves and cilantro.

3) Add the salt, chopped cilantro and a pinch of Asafoetida and mix well.

4) In a frying pan heat oil, add mustard, after it splutters add the chopped dried chilies, ginger, curry leaves and Asafoetida.

5) Add the above to the buttermilk, mix well.

Ready to be served.

                     Note:

• Instead of dried chilly, green chilly can also be added. But reduce the count for green chilly.
• The left out buttermilk while churning for butter can also be used.